Collapsible hat



March 7,- 1939.

J. T. SANTISE 2,149,468

COLLAPSIBLE HAT Filed May 7, 1938 6\I NVENTOR 11 F Z ATTORNEY! Patented Mar. 7, 1939 umran STATES Paras-T OFFICE 'COLLAPSIBL'E HAT James T. 'Santi'se, Brooklyn, N. Y. Application May 7, l1938,Serial'No. 206,585

3 Claims.

This "invention relates "to collapsible hats. An

object of the "invention 'is to provide a new 'hat construction "such that the hat can be readily reduced to convenient'c'om'pact form whenn'ot'worn '5 as for travelling. The construction'is applicable,

for instance, to that type of "hat, "such "as large beach'or sun hats, Where width of brim and ease in carrying "or packing areboth especially desirable, although the structure is, of 'c0urse,'not.limited to such particular application.

'lAnother object of the invention "is to provide a 'hat construction of the above character which is simple and durable and also inexpensive to manufacture.

A further object of the invention is to provide in such hats a brim frame which, although collapsible, has such a construction at the folding joints that it may be used with a circular or oval shaped brim and in combination with a variety of hat materials, however soft, thin or flexible, without sagging of the hat brim when the hat is opened or extended for wearing.

The invention will be best understood by a reference to the accompanying drawing, showing the preferred form of the hat construction, in which Figure l is a perspective view of the collapsible hat completely opened and ready for wear;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the hat partially closed;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the hat completely closed ready for carrying or packing;

Fig. 4, corresponding to Fig. 1, is a plan view of the hats brim frame completely opened;

Fig. 5, corresponding to Fig. 2, is a plan view of the brim frame partially closed;

Fig. 6, corresponding to Fig. 3, is a plan view of the brim frame completely closed; and

Fig. '7 is a detail view of the folding hinge or joint construction.

Referring to the drawing (Figs. 1 and 2), I and 2 indicate the crown and brim respectively of the hat which may be made of cloth or other material. Streamers 3 for tying, only one of which is shown, may be affixed at the inner side of the hat at the juncture of the crown l and brim 2. The brim 2 has a seam 4 around the edge thereof which holds the collapsible brim frame.

The collapsible brim frame (Figs. 4, 5 and 6) is composed of equal arc-shaped sections of wire 5, 6, I and 8, such as steel spring piano Wire. The ends of these wire sections 5, 6, I and 8 are joined or connected by pins 9, II), II and I2, pins 9 and II and I0 and I2 being diametrically opposite, to form the circumference of a circle (Fig. 4) which may be collapsed or folded to take the positions shown in'Figs. 5 and 6.

In Fig. '7 is shown in detail the structureof the said hinges or joints. 'Each end of each of the wire sections, as sections 8 and. 5, for example, is offset and flattened somewhat as at i3 and I4 respectively. The flattened and offset end [3 of wire section 8 is superimposed .upon the complementary offset and flattened end [4 of wire sectiont. 'Ends 13 and I4 arebored and held together by capped pin 9 as'shown but so that the wire sections 8 and '5 may freely rotate horizontally and 'only horizontally about .pin '9 as a -vertical axis. Each of the other connections is formed in the same manner. Wire sections 5 and 6 rotate horizontally about pin i0 as a vertical axis; sections 6 and l rotate horizontally about pin 1 l as a vertical axis and similarly sections I and 8 rotate horizontally about pin l2 as a vertical axis. As indicated by the dotted 20 line YY in Fig. '7, the axes formed by each of the pins are normal to the brim of the hat when the hat is in the opened position.

The oflsetting of the wire section ends permits of less flattening and thinning of the ends than would otherwise be necessary and thus makes for a strong connection. The offsetting further results in a broad bearing surface for the rotary movement of the wire sections.

When it is desired to close the hat from the open wearing position of Figs. 1 and 4, two adjacent sections of the brim as 5 and 8 are pressed toward each other. Because each of the several wire sections are freely horizontally rotative about the respective pins as above described, this pressing movement will cause sections 5 and 8 to rotate horizontally about pin 9 with the result that pins Ill and I2, diametrically opposite and connecting the other ends of said sections 5 and 8 to the remaining two sections 6 and 1 respectively, are 40 made to approach each other along the diameter and come close together. The inward movement of pins I0 and I2 will cause rotation of sections 6 and I about pin II. The other pair of pins 9 and l I having taken a direction diametrically 45 opposite to each other, the result of the several movements is the figure 8 formation of the Wire frame shown in Figs. 2 and 5.

The two halves of the figure 8 are then turned horizontally back on each other around the pins 50 I8 and I2, as in the outward direction of the arrows shown in Fig. 5, pins 9 and I i being made to approach each other. The brim frame, with the two halves of the figure 8 overlapping each other, as shown in Figs. 3 and 6, is then com- 55 pletely closed ready for hand carrying or packing, and may be held closed, if desired, by tying streamers 3 around the hat as collapsed.

It will be apparent that, because of the structure of the frame, the hat may be collapsed beginning with any two adjacent sides, and that, after the first folding to form the figure 8, the halves may be turned horizontally back on each other either outwardly or inwardly.

It will be seen that, to open the hat, the movements above described are merely reversed. There can, of course, be no outward movement of the frame away from the crown because the frame is restrained by the brim material.

Because the rotation of the wire brim sections are limited to rotation in a horizontal plane only on vertical axes by reason of the construction of the joints or connections above described, it will be apparent that there can be no tendency for'the brim frame to sag at the joints which would be the case if the wire sections were free to turn in a vertical plane about horizontal axes. Therefore, the wire brim frame is not dependent upon the tension of the material with which it is used to form the brim of the hat for support to prevent its sagging or falling downward. Thus it is not neces sary to use a stiffened hat material or material which provides a tension between the wire brim frame and the crown of the hat but soft, thin or resilient materials may be used effectively in making the hat.

While the invention has been described in connection with the specific construction shown in the accompanying drawings, it is obvious that changes in construction, form, arrangements and material of parts may be made without departing from the scope of my invention. Thus, for instance, the brim frame sections may be made of wood or other material. The ends of the sections may be merely flattened Without. offsetting. Also the brim frame or its sections may be affixed to the brim of the hat by a variety of fastening means or sewed thereon rather than being enclosed in a seam. Therefore, I do not Want to be limited to the precise details of the construction set forth, but desire to avail myself of such variations and modifications as comewithin the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In combination, a hat and a collapsible frame therefor composed of peripheral sections and means for rotatably joining said sections, said frame being enclosed in the brim of the hat.

2. In combination, a hat and a collapsible circular frame therefor composed of four arc-shaped sections of equal length and means for rotatably connecting said sections whereby said sections can rotate only in a horizontal plane, said frame being enclosed in the brim of the hat.

3. In combination, a hat and a collapsible circular brim edge member therefor comprising four arc-shaped sections and means for rotatably connecting successively the flattened and offset ends of said sections comprising pins perpendicular to said ends about which pins the sections can rotate only in a horizontal plane, said sections being afiixed to the brim of the hat.

JAMES T. SANTISE. 

